1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for treating and preventing most lower back injuries.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
It has been determined that a majority of lower back disorders and lower back pain involve an injury to the sacroiliac joint. Furthermore, injury to the sacroiliac joint is typically caused by over-twisting or excessive anterior or posterior tilt of the pelvis, causing injury to the sacroiliac ligaments connecting the lumbosacral region of the spine to the pelvic bones.
In the past, virtually all conventional lower back supports have attempted to prevent and treat injuries to the lower back by providing a compression wrap around the lower torso of the wearer. However, conventional back supports typically do not extend much below the waistline of the wearer. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in art that a significant portion of the sacroiliac joint is located well below the waistline of the body. It may, in fact, be said that the sacroiliac joint is generally located under the gluteal muscle in the buttocks region of the body. It is believed that proper treatment and support for the sacroiliac joint requires that pressure be applied in a generally forward and upward direction against the joint. Accordingly, most known conventional back supports simply do not support most, if not all, of the sacroiliac joint. Although a compression wrap about the lower torso will provide support for the injured tissues above the waistline, most lower back disorders occur at the base of the spine (i.e., at the sacroiliac joint), and consequently traditional supports are ineffective in most applications.
There have been numerous back supports with structure disposed below the waistline for anchoring the compression wrap about the lower torso so as to prevent upward migration of the wrap during use. However, the anchor structure is not designed or configured to provide the compressive pressure necessary for properly treating and supporting the sacroiliac joint. As indicated above, preventing upward migration of the compressive wrap may be helpful when treating the relatively uncommon injuries to tissue above the sacroiliac joint, however, this design is still ineffective in treating and preventing most lower back disorders.
It is also important to note that a number of traditional lower back supports tend to have complex, uncomfortable, and expensive constructions. In addition, proper positioning of traditional lower back supports on the body is often difficult. This is especially true with conventional supports having anchoring structure for preventing upward migration of the compressive wrap.